


Rules of Royalty

by songofdefiance



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: DOTO spoilers, Etiquette, F/M, Gen, Human!Outsider, Post-Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:43:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songofdefiance/pseuds/songofdefiance
Summary: “You’reenjoyingthis,” he accused.Emily shrugged.  “Maybe a little.”





	Rules of Royalty

**Author's Note:**

> For this prompt: "Human!Outsider having to learn court ettiquette featuring an amused Empress (can be shippy)"

“Also, you’re not allowed to make eye contact with me.”

It was with great restraint that the Outsider kept his eyes from rolling.  He’d already had to endure an hour on holding the correct posture, and another hour before that learning what fork to use during formal dinners.  Thankfully, said formal dinners seemed to be few and far between; Emily and her father preferred private evening meals.

“I suppose I should mumble when I speak, as well,” he said.

Emily shrugged.  “You  _could_ ,” she replied.  “The nobility wouldn’t think very highly of you, but it won’t make you a pariah to society.”

Based on the limited interactions that the Outsider already had with Dunwall’s upper class, he had a feeling that making himself into a pariah wasn’t going to be very difficult for him.  He didn’t bother to hide his snort this time, before he realized that his shoulders were hunched over again and straightened them.

Wonderful.  He was already falling into the habit of correcting himself.

“I was wondering how long that would take you to notice,” Emily said, sounding amused, and the Outsider did make eye contact with her, only to find her smirking at him.

“You’re  _enjoying_ this,” he accused.  

Emily shrugged.  “Maybe a little.”

“And why, pray tell, does Billie not have to suffer through these lessons?”

“Oh, she’s getting her own lessons, don’t worry.”  Emily stood up from her chair, and the Outsider found himself noting the way she automatically straightened her back and lifted her chin, motions that had been drilled into her for years and yet somehow looked natural.  “But she just has to learn to stand there and look threatening.”

“I imagine Corvo is giving her those lessons?”

“He is.”

“And the Empress of the Isles has enough time to give one of the newest members of her court lessons in etiquette?”

Emily folded her hands in front of her.  “I do when the recipient of said lessons happens to be a former god of the Void, yes.”

Ah.  “So it’s payback.”

“You always seemed to have a bit too much fun being cryptic whenever I visited your shrines,” Emily pointed out.  “I figured it was only fair that I got to return the favor.”

The Outsider started pacing, in a manner than he knew was reminiscent of the way he moved when he was still the avatar.  “It’s hardly fair to compare my… cryptic-ness to these lessons.  I highly doubt that anything I said made your lower back ache for hours.”

“It’s just because your lower back muscles are weak,” Emily pointed out.  “With practice, it'll stop hurting.”

The Outsider squinted at her.  “I think you’re lying.”

“I think you can’t tell for sure anymore.”

He couldn’t, and while it was usually somewhat frustrating, at the moment he was enjoying not knowing.  That did not, however, change the fact that what he  _wasn’t_ enjoying was these infernal lessons, so he went through his mental checklist of what his posture needed to be, and then cast his eyes deferentially at her feet.

“Nicely done,” Emily said.  “Now - titles.”

The Outsider groaned.


End file.
